Your F-1 status is based on your full-time enrollment. If you are not going be enrolled in courses full-time, you will need to take some kind of immigration action and must notify our office as soon as possible. If you are taking a leave of absence, working with 总局 is required and a separate requirement from anything you must do or file for your academic department/university.
If you fail to notify 总局 about your leave, even after arranging a leave with your department, your record will be terminated 为“注册失败” and this could leads to 的 loss of your F-1 status and have o的r serious consequences if you want to visit, 在美国学习或工作.S. 在未来.
Before Taking a 休假 or Withdrawing
- If your leave is for a documentable 医疗原因, you can be authorized for a reduced course load based on medical conditions, and your SEVIS record will remain active. In order to do so log into 我的全球门户 to submit 的 Reduced Course Load 请求.
- You cannot be authorized for work authorization while you are on an official school leave.
如何申请 for a 休假:
- Review 的 university policies for your current education level and check with your department:
2. Complete 的 休假 请求 in MyGlobal门户.
After submitting your 请求, your SEVIS record will be terminated 为“Authorized Early Withdrawal“, which will not adversely affect your immigration record.
3.Depart 的 country within 15 days of 的 termination date (为“Authorized Early Withdrawal” only). 你不可能在美国.S. with a terminated record. You do not have a grace period to leave and you must depart immediately. You will receive an email confirmation 从总局 saying that your record has been terminated.
Returning from a 休假
F-1 students returning from a leave of 更少的 5个月以上:
If 的 gap in your enrollment will be 更少的 than five months, 总局 can usually 请求 that your F-1 status is ‘reactivated’ by USCIS. Reactivation allows you to use 的 same I-20 and visa (if not expired).
注意，总局只能 请求 that your record is reactivated. USCIS approves 的 actual reactivation and often requires additional documentation from 的 school and 的 student to make 的 change. If your leave is for 更少的 than five months, you must:
- Confirm with your academic department that you are eligible to return 到大学. To be eligible for reactivation, you must be full time enrolled during 的 next available semester.
- 电子邮件 总局 最多60天 before 的 semester begins and at least one month before you plan to return. This will give 总局 time to 请求 that your record is reactivated with USCIS.
- Confirm you have a valid travel signature. 如果没有，你可以 请求 an updated signature.
- Check your email regularly. USCIS often requires additional information to reactivate your status on very short notice (such as a transcript copy, 个人行程证明, 或其他文件). Once your 请求 has been approved, 总局 will notify you via email.
- 重新进入美国.S. with all required travel documents, including a valid F-1 visa after your record is set back to ‘active’. Note that reactivation times vary. 总局 cannot guarantee when your record will be turned back to ‘active’.
F-1 students returning after 超过 5个月:
If 的re will be 超过 a five month gap between your enrollment, 你需要一个新的, “初始”I-20. This will be a completely new F-1 record. If your leave is for 超过 five months, you must:
- 提交 Initial I-20/DS-2019 Request form and financial documentation ~3 months before you plan to return 到大学.
- Coordinate with your department to submit any necessary information for your return.
- Receive your new Form I-20 or DS-2019 从总局.
- 支付 的 SEVIS费用.
- 获得签证:
- F-1 students: Obtain a new F-1 visa, ONLY if your old visa is no longer valid.
- 去美国旅行.S. no 超过 30 days before 的 start date listed on your new I-20.